Right at your Finger Tips
by typicalRAinbow
Summary: While everyone else around her is panicking, some one with a keen eye for detail makes an observation that might change a certain witch's life for ever.


Right at your finger tips

_While everyone else around her is panicking, some one with a keen eye for detail makes an observation that might change a certain witch's life for ever_

**I swear I'll get the other stories updated/finished some day but this has been bobbing about on my computer sine *checks date* yikes, January…2010! (This is the first first-person story I've ever written, so I hope it works.) Let me know if anything's Iffy or OOC m'kay? I own nothing but this story which I've wrote borrowing the characters that belong to Jill Murphy. I did proof read but please do point out all mistakes that are lurking. Enjoyus maximus and maybe even reviewus?**

When I was younger, I noticed all sorts of things.

Especially the all small things. Those insignificant details that mostly got over looked by others. My parents said it gave me a critical eye of a perfectionist. Then again they also said it gave them a headache because of all the questions I asked. And believe me, I asked a lot!

I'd watch films and plays then ask why some one went off one way rather then another. if I read a book I'd discuss the characters who weren't the main protagonist and I'd get annoyed if there wasn't enough detail for me to work out how one person stood, spoke and smiled. If she was cooking tea or brewing potions I'd ask my grandmother about which way she'd stirred it and if she diverted from the recipe, why? How? What? Who? Where? Always forever picking up on things that often meant nothing to every one else, but they've always mattered to me.

It's come in handy as I've grown up though. I was able to revise more thoughly then most because I'll find and remember points of the text like dates and names as well as being able to recall what was said in lessons with out the need for notes. The Potions I make aren't exactly brilliant but they are sometimes a little more refined as I can usually work out instantly how much is needed to rectify a mistake rather then just guessing. PEs good sometimes, I don't mind cross county or orienteering (so long as the weathers nice!) and I love watching and judging a team pull together , but Chanting and Spelling are my best subjects because I can pinpoint the right words to say and do exactly what I mean.

This also helped me to be a strong speaker and, even though I get talked into going along with all sorts of crazy schemes by my friends, if need be I can force a pretty strong argument against it. Well, sometimes. In theory anyway. I've found it easy to know when people are lying to me or shouldn't be trusted, because I'd spot signs, an eye or a finger twitch that often aren't as obvious on one person as they are on another.

I can pinpoint almost exactly when somebody's been pushed too far and on the edge of losing their rag, even if they hide it well. With most people I know exactly what's needed to cheer them up or completely break them in one sentence (Not that I think I do that very often but unfortunately sometimes its nessercry) because I watch people; I learn their likes and dislikes with out asking them, what they do if there nervous or uninterested, their emotions whether they show them or keep them hidden, recognise their habits and traits...

Like right now for example, Amelia Cackle (despite her words of encouragement and reassuring smile,) though she's trying not to show it, it's obvious to me she's nervous and a more then a little anxious. She keeps taking of her glasses and polishing them or chewing on the ends, looking around as though the answer will magically appear with out anyone uttering a spell. But that's easy to spot. I noticed the curl of her lip when she spoke. We all know she hates any thing that demoralises or lets down the school and she always wants what's best for the students but that little twinge means her patience is wearing thin…

Constance Hardbroom on the other hand is pacing up and down, barking out questions and near-insults in equal measures. She's probably one of the most interesting people I've ever come across as I still find it a challenge to figure her out espialy when she's put up her defences, but at the moment it doesn't take a psychologist to pin her mood as she's becoming more melodramatic and her voice pitched with most would class as annoyance and frustration. However, judging from having hearing her voice everyday all this time, if I'm not mistaken there's a tone of desperation in there. Well covered, but it's there.

The pair of them are becoming more flustered as Miss Hardbroom has seem to have run out of ideas and Miss Cackle is struggling not only to control her composure but also her hands as when she gets distressed she often becomes more and more animated. Unfortunately this becomes rather distracting meaning as Miss Hardbroom can't concentrate to come up with a solution so Miss Cackle is bound to get more flustered, trapping them both in a rather vicious circle. If it'd been any one else I would have told them to calm down so we could fix this mess. However I'm not that brave, nor that stupid.

It's coming close to exam time again so really every ones feeling a bit under pressure, more so us forth years. The teachers especially, though it's taken me awhile to work out that they are actually stressing FOR you rather then just at you.

Although, I don't think Mildred would appreciate it if I were to tell her that now. She's sat there, poor thing, trying hard not to cry as she stares at her undone boot laces.

Having gotten used to Millie and her little ways, I know she'll scared to make eye contact with 'HB' and probably too disappointed with her self to look at either Miss Cackle or at the assortment of objects on the desk. For a change, none of this is actually her fault, but her luck seems to have finally run out and it seems there's no solution…

I didn't believe it when Mildred first told us what had occurred. I overheard Miss Hardbroom say she'd never known such happen to one so young and Miss Cackle replying it's never happened in the school while she's been headmistress, especially not to a head girl. We've been warned of the dangers, always told to be extra careful but until it happened for real, everyone thought that it was nothing more then old wives tales invented to keep students in line, but it's actually true. It can happen…

Mildred's lost her magic.

Or at least, it seems like it. At first we all thought maybe it was just nerves or Mildred just being, well Mildred.

"Perhaps she was just getting her spells muddled," We all said. "And it's not exactly like she was ever brilliant at potions, but she'll probably be fine once she gets in the exam…"

But none of her spells are working. Well then again for Mildred that's not unlike the norm but even if they were going wrong they'd be at least sparks or HB shouting at her. But nothing happens. I can't believe I didn't notice sooner, but we're all been so focused on our revision, I don't think any one paid her enough attention. It wasn't until she fled from a DOBS den, having failed to bring one her pictures to life just for fun that we finally realised something was seriously wrong.

"I've just gotten weaker and weaker." She confessed. "It's as though someone's been turning a tap inside me until all my magic stopped!"

So for the past few days we've have been trying to cheer her up in some way shape or form, trying to distract her, while trying to come up with a solution to her problem as well as juggling our revision. Not that any thing will work. I imagine if I were in Mildred, I doubt even I would be able to find something positive in the situation. Every where she goes, half the student body swamps her with hugs and get well soon wishes while the other half try to avoid her like the plague for fear it'll be contagious making Mildred feel even worse.

In fact the only time I've seen her attempt to crack a smile this week was in the dinner hall when all four teachers and Mr Blossom simutoinuly scolded Ethel for teasing Millie.

(Even Drusilla thought Ethel was out of order. they started fighting again as soon as the teacher's backs where turned. Well tried to. Dru got a quick hex in before HB reappeared but even then she only got a five page essay as punishment!)

Unfortunately Mildred always takes things to heart, so it didn't take long for her to start believing that she, as Ethel said, was "returning to her non witch roots."

With our first exam tomorrow morning, we've been instructed us by Miss Cackle to leave her dilemma to the teachers, telling us not to let our own marks slip and she sent us off to our rooms. We had protested but Mildred agreed and told us not to worry about it. That's a little ironic coming from a girl who's now chewing on her pigtails, which annoys most people despite it being a source of comfort to her. Sort of like nail biting I suppose.

Enid tried sneaking back after dinner but surprise, surprise, Miss Hardbroom caught her and sent her back with such a long list of detentions and homework it'd put anyone off even lifting their heads from the spell books. We agreed we couldn't leave Millie down there with out any support but we'd also promised Miss Cackle we wouldn't abandon our studying. Good thing I'd already finished by then.

It's getting chilly now and the suns beginning to set. I'm not sure how long I've been sat outside the classroom, but its got to be nearly two hours at least, ducking down every time someone turns around just in case they see me though the window. On the table in front of Millie there's a key, a pencil, an apple, a glass of water and a little teddy bear, set out like the test every first year has to do at halfway though her opening term, so Miss Cackle can see how her students are getting on with getting to grips to magic.

Its simple really, you make the key hover, get the pencil to vanish and reappear, the glass of water change colour, perform a shrinking charm on the apple and for extra credit make the bear move as though someone was playing with it (Ethel was the only one to do that properly, making the toy hop and dance about. I could only just get its arm to twitch.)

Or at least it should have been simple. It never has been for Mildred. First time round somehow, the key became rubber and bendy, the pencil grew to a metre in length and the apple turned into an orange while water suddenly exploded over the headmistress, Mildred and the rest of the class. At that point Miss Cackle had thought it best not to continue, so at least the teddy escaped the lesson with only its fur being sodden. I never thought that after the eighth exasperated attempts it had taken to get her student to pass that she'd even consider asking Mildred for a repeat performance.

I haven't really a good view from here even on tiptoe but thankfully someone had left a window open so I don't have to guess what their saying. There's no screams so at least things aren't going wrong. But there's no sighs of relief to say it's either. Instead, Miss Cackle is trying again to reassure Mildred things will get sorted, but seeing as we all know that Mr and Mrs Hubble have been called and its practically unheard of for any one to regain there magic once they've lost it, she sounds rather patronizing to me.

HB seems to think so too, as she discreetly rolls her eyes behind the head teachers back. As Miss Cackle begins afresh one of her famous pep talks I become less interested in what she's saying and more focused on her deputy. I like to think that Miss Hardbroom's silently willing Mildred on. Had somebody told me years ago told me that one day we all, especially Millie, would look up to her in such a way I'd have called them mad. Mind you if this'd all happened in our first year I don't think Miss Hardbroom would have thought twice of drumming Mildred out of the school…

But her gaze keeps shifting from Mildred to the table and back again, the every present frown some how a little softer around her eyes. Her postures different to. Okay its still rigidly straight for everyone else but for the great HB its practically slumped and I'm surprised she hasn't dug a nail though her sleeve the way she's gripping her arms that are, as usual, tightly folded in front of her, fore and little fingers erect, spells at the ready.

Its common knowledge that those are her spell casting fingers. Well it can hardly be a secret can it? I mean sometimes, its shock to remember HB has four fingers and not just the two! And she don't usually bother to even say a spell aloud, she just points and ZAP although sometimes she needs to 'warm up' her magic with a shakes of the wrist.

And she can use etier hand on its own! Nearly every girl you see at the school will use both hands to cast magic. As you get older though it becomes easier to use just the one for minor spells but even then there's a preference, like writing and being left or right handed. It shows how powerful a witch Miss Hardbroom is, as to be abexious; even in the magical world is a rarity.

Some older witches believe that casting spells with the left is more noble, ironic seeing as the Victorians used to think left handed children orgt to be whipped. this is nonsecne of corse but Ethel, beilng the lying toe rag she is, will as she claimscast her best spells with her left hand as a so called proper witch ort to…. But only with her other hand drawing power and doing all the work behind her back!

We got taught about them in magical theory lesson onetime, abit briefly and it's one lesson thats stuck with me. Some witches have prefurences to how they use there magic, others depending on thier behaviour and habits, With some its quite suttle, on overs its really obvious , espilly if she's threatened.

Miss Drill, or at least Miss Hemlock, was even scaryeir then HB. If she put her hands on her hips, you knew you were going to see some serious sparks fly, like a cobra making its self bigger for a fight. If you annoy her Tansy, being little miss popular and having seen too many movies, will snap her fingers three times in your face before you can even duck the sparks and although she would normally use her fists, every one knew not to get in the way of Drusilla when she used her finger and thumb to shape an L in a chant espilyy if she added 'loser' on the end of it.

Or it maybe just comes nateraly. Sybil, for an example being a musician will glide and flex her hands as though fingering the keys of a perfectly tuned instrument rather then turning mushrooms into flowers and Dispite what miss Hardbroom dictates about mixing of technology with magic, Ruby always works better when she's got her headphones in her ears, listing to her radios and walkmans with her fingers sparking to the beat.

Speaking of music, Chanting teachers are my favorites to watch as I think have always been rather colourful with their methods. Miss Crotchet twirls her fingers then sends off her spells with a flick of the wrist, making any one watching her rather dizzy and when she was off with the flu last term the substitude, Miss Wishit or Wagit I think her name was, would strike her fist agaist her hand and sort of throw the magic, like sparks from a ston to make a fire. But the best was the rare, rare ocassions Miss Bat would cast a spell. and I mean a proper one not just a mad mongolian mishap. Eerirly calm she would up herself like soprano would, the colors of the world in her palm before she drew her baton from her hair and beautifuuly conducting the magic into as though her baton was a wand. Well maybe it was. Wizards use staffs after all so maybe Batty Bat had a-

Wait …

"Use the pencil!" The glass is rattles under my slapping hands and all three of them jump as a hammer on it, "Millie, try doing magic with a pencil in your hand!"

"What earth-!" Miss Cackle gasps as I run round to and though the classroom door. "My dear it's nearlly light's out you should be in your room!"

"indeed." HB sniffed. Her expression has changed from What's happening to What do you think your doing? Not good but I carry on regardless.

"Trust me on this. Please. Everyone is diffrent. Mildred's artie and she's always doodling when she thinks you you can't see and Miss Bat had her baton so maybe millie needs somthing to draw with, to draw FROM-"

"Dear I think you're letting this get to you-"

"What on earth has Miss Bat got to do with this?"

"I know Mildreds your friend but as you can see, we're seeing to it."

"If you can't say anything sensible, young lady-"

Before the ice queen probably sentences me to death by detention however, Mildred suddenly laughs. it gets our attension.

In her hand is the pencil. On the table is a glass of technicolor liquid and a tiny tiny apple. The key is hovering above the desk, the bear sliding down its legs and peform a little jig. and thats not all. colors and shape with detail angels would have envied suddely swirls about the room as Mildred paints it in the air, magic of her own bending to her wim. the rest of us stand agog. I thought it might work but never that well!

She done it it less then a minate with out muttering any spells. Mildred laughing is contagous and Miss Cackle soon joins in, tears in her eyes.

"Constance, get a message to her parents, tell them every things going to be fine!"

Miss Hardbroom nods and leaves with a glimmering nay dazzling smile. "And thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! Oh goodness how wonderful!"

Mildred dives on me with hugs and gratitude thanking over and over agian before skipping back to the desk making more magic as she goes.

I smile and leave them too it making my way upstairs. After all, I still have an exam tomorrow as well and I'll need an early night if I want to revise my notes again in the morning. But, I think to my self, maybe this gives us a good excuse to sneak out to the tea shop for a celebration afterwards. Or maybe a disco in the DOBs den. We could call even back Fenny and Gris, give them a break from their college work and get pay back on Ethel for bulling Millie as an opening for events-

"That's quite an epiphany you made back there." A voice from nowhere suddenly informs me breaking my train of thought. After nearly four years, you'd think we'd gotten use to it but it still makes me jump when Miss Hardbroom decides to appear as she just did. Its almost as though she has a anicy radar or a mutiny sencor, just waiting to quash any rebellion. However for once she isn't going to gorote me with her wit.

"Tell me," she says quietly "how did you figure it out?"

It takes me a second to work out her temperment. She seems a little annoyed with her self that she didn't think of it first but over all she seems quite relived, Almost relaxed even. Weird.

"I don't really know Miss." I srug. "It just seemed like a good idea."

"It certainly was. I don't say this often but belive me when I say... well you did back there..." her long gaze turning back to the class room. "You've saved a witch in need."

"Thanks, well a deputy got to keep an eye on the head." I can feel myself blushing. "I'm guessing if you didn't, Miss Cackle would sneak out to Cosies more often."

I realise to late what I've just said aloud as Miss Hardbroom's head snaps around, obvious unamused or flattered by the sentimemt.

"young lady, you might have proved your self an anagrorisis heroine today" she barks. "but you are not a stand up comedian in a local taven."

"Yes miss-" I start. I don't think she's ever forgiven ethier me or any of my friends for that newspaper we made last year. espilly the jokes section.

"kindly watch you tongue and if you make another jibe like that toward anymember staff again, deputy head-girl or not, you'll be scrubbing out cauldrons till the end of term. Is that clear Jadu?"

"Yes Miss Sorry Miss." I muttter as solomly as I can to conceal my grin before she vanishes as quick as she appeerd. "It's just force of Habit…"

**Hehehe! I thought Jadu could use a bit more attention aside from The unfair ground and Uninvited. I love the way HB/KD pronounces Jadu. its rather awesome, especially if she****'****s telling off the whole gang in rapid fire. **

"**Mildred Maud Enid Ruby Jha-Doo!****"**** Best line(s) ever in my for reading :D  
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